Author: Emil Lazarian

PRESS RELEASE
Fordham Psychology Associaiton
113 W 60th Street
New York, NY 10024
201 941-2266
E-mail: [email protected]
Round table on Forgiveness
10 AM – 12 noon
and
The Exclusivity of Suffering:
Psychological and Spiritual Perspectives of Genocide
Panel discussion
On
Saturday, May 15, 2004
113 W 60th Street (Corner of 9th Avenue) 12th Floor Faculty Dining Room
1pm – 4 pm
This panel promises to be a breakthrough on “The Exclusivity of Suffering.”
Our distinguished panelists, made up of acclaimed authors, academicians and
mental health professionals, will explore various histories, and the apparent
desire to create unique histories of suffering, its causes, and the impact it has
on victims, descendants and the greater communities in which we live.
During the last 50 years, the Holocaust has stood out as a reminding beacon
to remind us of the greatest crimes against humanity: Genocide. But it has
also over-shadowed, and often preempted, discussions and recognition of
co-victims of Nazi atrocities and all other genocides. The Genocide of the Armenians is
finally gaining recognition, but historian and advocates exclude mention of
the Genocide of the Pontic and other Asia Minor Greeks and Assyrians, the
co-victims of the same Genocide.
African Americans and Native Americans have had some of the longest histories
of both genocide and slavery, yet they have been, until recently, the least
heard. A manufactured hierarchy of suffering has been established that has left
those on the progressively lower rungs of this fabricated ladder struggling
for recognition of their own histories.
By accurately recording and acknowledging the history of each Genocide, we
have a greater chance of recognizing the signs and symptoms of an imminent
threat to human life. By being relieved of the struggle to be heard, scholars and
activists may actually have the energy and focus to fulfill the promise of “
Never again.”
Panelists:
Thea Halo, Author Not Even My Name: A true story of Genocide and survival, Ms
Halo will speak on the “The Pontic and Asia Minor Greeks and Assyrians: the
co-victims of the ‘Armenian Genocide.’”
Dr. Henry Huttenbach, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Genocide Research, and
Professor of Russian and East European History, City College of New York City,
and will speak on: “When Genocide affirmation includes genocide denial.”
John L. Bolling, MD, adult and child psychiatrist, and author of The Heart of
Soul: An Afrocentric approach to Psychospiritual wholeness. Dr. Bolling will
speak on the first genocides of the 20th Century in Africa, and Black Slavery
as a form of genocide.
Dr. Anie Kalayjian, Author of Disaster & Mass Trauma, Adj. Prof. of
Psychology at Fordham University, Vice Chair of the UN DPI/NGO Executive Committee,
President, Armenian American Society for Studies on Stress & Genocide.
Marian Weisberg, Psychotherapist, Interviewer-Shoah Project. Video Survivor
Testimony.
Special guest: Ms. Zvart Joulhaian, Professional classical flutist
For information: Ms. Halo [email protected] or Dr. Kalayjian
[email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1 Plus | 20:13:19 | 12-05-2004 | Politics |
MPS ARGUING ABOUT CITIZENSHIP FOR SEFILYAN
During today’s exchange of answers and questions between Government
and Parliament MP Manuk Gasparyan posed a question over not granting
citizenship to Shushi Battalion Commander Jirayr Sefilyan.
Manuk Gasparyan advised Serj Sargssyan to solicit to grant citizenship
to Karabakhi War hero. Naturally, Sargssyan didn’t respond and
Government Staff Head-Minister Manuk Topuzyan answered the question.
He just informed that Government is not empowered to consider the
issue since only the President solves the problem.
“Do you suggest me to appeal to the President? In that case I
will say the guys who fought to liberate our homeland would better
perish. Sefilyan is not an ordinary man. He has come from abroad,
struggled for his country and achieved a lieutenant colonel rank. He
used to be Shushi Regiment Commander”, Gasparyan said.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know the reasons for refusal. But I don’t think
that citizenship can be rejected baselessly”, Manuk Topuzyan answered.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/11/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) First Couple Begins Official Visit to Lebanon 2) Georgia to Deploy Troops in Ethnic Armenian District Following Clashes 3) More Than 95% of ARF Candidates in Lebanon Elected 4) US General Blames Leadership for Abuse 5) Efforts to Control Sensitive Armenian Exports Discussed in Washington 1) First Couple Begins Official Visit to Lebanon BEIRUT (Combined Sources)--Armenian and Lebanese Presidents Robert Kocharian and Emil Lahoud met on Monday to discuss intensifying their already solid bilateral relations. Officials said the two also reviewed the situation in the Middle East, including Iraq. The Armenian president was due to meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Accompanied by Armenian first lady Bella, President Kocharian was greeted by President Lahoud and Lebanese first lady Andrea at Beirut International airport early Monday. A state dinner was held in honor of the Armenian first couple Monday evening, and the two planned to visit historical and cultural sites on Tuesday. Lebanon hosts the Arab world's largest Armenian community, with about 200,000 members. The community has government ministers and parliament members, and is very active in the business sector. Kocharian was scheduled to meet church and other leaders. Kocharian made a first visit to Lebanon in 2000. The Lebanese president, whose mother and wife are of Armenian origin, made a trip to Yerevan in 2002. Hariri also visited Armenia in April, where he signed a series of agreements for bilateral economic and cultural cooperation. 2) Georgia to Deploy Troops in Ethnic Armenian District Following Clashes TSALKA (Combined Sources)--A 150-strong unit of Georgia's Internal Troops are to be deployed in Tsalka District following mass disturbances involving the district's ethnic Armenian and Georgian residents on Sunday. A Prime-News correspondent reported from Tsalka that the president's representative in the Kvemo Kartli Region, Ioseb Mazmishvili, as well as a group of investigators from the regional offices of the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor-General's Office, arrived in Tsalka on Monday to investigate the incident. The Prime-News correspondent has said that the regional administration will stay in Tsalka until order is restored there. A temporary command post to coordinate the activities of law enforcement officers will also be set-up. Mazmishvili told Prime-News that the temporary command post will institute special measures, to include the disarming of residents. A-Info reported that clashes began when some 50 Svans (ethnic Georgian group) ran into the field and began beating the Armenian soccer players after they had made a goal. Most of the victims, schoolchildren, suffered serious injuries. Armenian youth from neighboring villages moved in to help, but before reaching Tsalka, were told that police had managed to stop the fight. Armenian and Svans clashed again in other areas. A-Info also reported that the mainly Georgian local police arbitrarily harassed Armenians, with one policeman opening fire on the car of a young Armenian who had nothing to do with the events. The president's representative in the region has described the situation in the district as tense. Several dozen have been injured; one youth suffered concussion. A group of doctors from Rustavi went to Tsalka on Monday to treat the injured. Mass disturbances involving ethnic Georgians and Armenians have taken place in the Tsalka District before. 3) More Than 95% of ARF Candidates in Lebanon Elected BEIRUT (Aztag)--Of the 90 candidates running for seats in Lebanon's municipal and local elections on the ARF list, 86 were elected, reported the ARF Central Committee of Lebanon. The elections began May 2 and ended May 9. The turnout by Armenian voters was high and highly organized, in sharp contrast to overall voter turnout, according to Lebanese news reports. The ARF's election machinery included 1,500 youth campaign workers, as well as 750 vehicles that transported voters from outlying areas, including the Bekaa Valley and the north, to the heart of Beirut. "We congratulate the ARF's election allies, who recorded major victories throughout Lebanon," read a statement issued by the Central Committee after the elections. "The consolidation of the democratic order, and election campaigns waged on that basis, constitute the starting point for the development of the country…which is predicated on the development of municipalities and their districts. It was with that understanding that the ARF approached the elections at this stage, and was able to achieve the election of 86 persons as municipal council members and district heads," the statement read. The ARF waged the election campaign for the Beirut municipal and district elections from headquarters in Mt. Lebanon. It had seven election headquarters in Bourj Hammoud, seven in Antelias, three in Zalka and Jal-al-Dib, four in Beirut, and one each in Ainjar, Zahle, and Jibeyl. 4) US General Blames Leadership for Abuse WASHINGTON (Reuters)--The abuse of Iraqi prisoners reflected a failure of leadership in the US armed forces, the general who investigated the mistreatment says. But he said on Tuesday that he found no evidence that American soldiers had acted on the direct orders of higher-ups. Asked directly in "your own soldier's language" what had caused the abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison, once the feared symbol of Saddam Hussein's dictatorial rule, US Army Major General Antonio Taguba recited a litany of ills. "Failure in leadership, sir, from the brigade commander on down, lack of discipline, no training whatsoever and no supervision. Supervisory omission was rampant," Taguba, the author of a Pentagon report on the abuse, told the latest Senate hearing on the scandal, which has drawn worldwide outrage. But Taguba told the Senate Armed Services Committee he did "not find any evidence of a policy or a direct order given to these soldiers to conduct what they did. I believe that they did it on their own volition." The hearing followed an all-day grilling of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Friday, at which Rumsfeld apologized for the abuse but said he would not step down simply to appease his political enemies. At the Pentagon's insistence, Under Secretary of Defense Stephen Cambone, who is in charge of intelligence, and other Pentagon officials also appeared with Taguba to testify on the scandal that has sparked international outrage and calls for Rumsfeld's resignation. Coalition military intelligence officers estimated that about 70 percent to 90 percent of the thousands of prisoners detained in Iraq had been "arrested by mistake," according to a report by Red Cross given to the Bush administration last year and leaked this week. The report said the mistreatment of prisoners apparently tolerated by US and other coalition forces in Iraq involved widespread abuse that was "in some cases tantamount to torture." DEMOCRATS IRKED Democrats on the committee were irked that the Pentagon balked at plans for Taguba to testify by himself, calling it an "attempt to dilute Taguba's testimony", a Democratic aide said. "Taguba is known as a straight-talker." Taguba's report and photographs shown around the world of naked prisoners stacked in a pyramid or positioned to simulate sex acts at the prison near Baghdad have shocked Americans and set off an international furor that has posed a serious setback to US efforts to stabilize Iraq. With close US ally Britain battling its own abuse scandal, Amnesty International accused British soldiers in Iraq of killing civilians, including an 8-year-old girl and a wedding guest, who posed no apparent threat. Already, a British judge has ruled that 12 Iraqi families whose loved ones were killed should be given permission to argue that the European Convention on Human Rights applied to their cases. The scandal broke in America as public support for the Iraq war was already declining. A CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll released on Monday found only 44 percent believed the war was worthwhile. In a poll taken a month ago, 50 percent said it was worth going to war in Iraq. A year ago, 73 percent thought the war was worthwhile. President George W. Bush's own approval rating dipped to 46 percent, down from 52 percent a month earlier. SCATTERED VIOLENCE In Iraq scattered violence, underlined the continuing lawlessness. A civilian supply convoy was attacked on the main highway to Baghdad from Jordan and 21 vehicles were destroyed. Three people were killed when a bomb exploded in a crowded market in the northern oil city of Kirkuk, Iraqi police said. And in Najaf, hundreds of Iraqis marched through the streets to demand that militant cleric Moqtada al-Sadr withdraw his fighters from the Shi'ite holy city. It was the biggest and most public display yet of mounting local exasperation with an uprising launched last month by Sadr's Mehdi Army against the US occupation force. Despite the ongoing turmoil, the United States is planning to hand over Saddam Hussein and other top officials of his ousted regime to the Iraqis before it transfers power to an unelected Iraqi government by June 30, according to Iraqi lawyer Salem Chalabi, who is coordinating the trial. "The coalition forces now have more than 100 former regime officials," Chalabi said in Kuwait. "They will be transferred to us before the transfer of power, and they include Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan al Majid and Tareq Aziz." In his report, completed in March, Taguba cited the "systematic and illegal abuses of detainees," and said between October and December 2003, "numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees." While his 53-page report castigated the prison operation, Taguba told the committee he did not see evidence it resulted from a deliberate policy on extracting information from detainees. "I think it was a matter of soldiers with their interaction with military intelligence personnel who were perceived or thought to be competent authority ... influencing their action to set the conditions for successful interrogations," he said. But Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the committee's top Democrat, said "the despicable acts" shown in the report "not only reek of abuse, they reek of an organized effort and methodical preparation for interrogation." Levin said the abuses "were not the spontaneous action of lower ranking enlisted personnel," but "attempts to extract information from prisoners by abusive and degrading methods were planned and suggested by others." Congress is now preparing to see a new set of photographs and a video that Rumsfeld warned may be even more shocking. 5) Efforts to Control Sensitive Armenian Exports Discussed in Washington YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Senior Armenian and US officials met in Washington last week to discuss efforts to prevent possible transfer of sensitive equipment and technology from Armenia to third-world countries, the Foreign Ministry in Yerevan announced on Monday. A ministry statement said the meeting was a part of "periodical consultations" between the two governments relating to exports of goods that could be used in the manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It said the Armenian side was represented by officials from several government agencies, including the National Security Service and an exports control body. The statement said their counterparts from the US Department of Commerce praised relevant steps taken by the Armenian authorities, notably a law regulating exports of "goods and technologies of dual use" and their transit through Armenian territory which was passed by the National Assembly last September. The talks seemed to have come about as a result of a May 2002 incident over the transfer of sensitive Armenian technology to neighboring Iran. Washington imposed sanctions on an Armenian businessman who had allegedly sold the technological equipment of a local biochemical firm to an Iranian-linked trading company registered in the United Arab Emirates. The company, based in the central town of Charentsavan, grew special bacteria for the production of lysine, an amino acid added to animal fodder. Scientists say they could also generate other biochemical substances. The businessman, Armen Sarkisian strongly denied having any links with the now defunct firm called Lizin. Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian stated at the time that Armenia had been cautioned in 2001 of the dangers of exporting of lysine, which can be used for military purposes, but that the Armenian government had no authority to block the deal. The incident prompted the government to tighten export controls on Armenia's border crossings. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia celebrates Day of Victory and Peace
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 9, 2004 Sunday
YEREVAN, May 9 — Armenia on Sunday is celebrating Day of Victory and
Peace. Thousands of people came to the Pobeda Park in the Armenian
capital Yerevan to commemorate the fighters who fell in the Second
World War battles.
Representatives of the republican authorities, ministries, departments,
the army, law enforcement bodies, political parties and public
associations, as well as war veterans, living in the republic, laid
wreaths and flowers at the eternal flames of the Unknown Soldier Tomb.
Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Artur Bagdasaryan, Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan and other high-ranking officials of the
country attended the ceremony. They also laid a wreath from Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan who is visiting Stepanakert to celebrate
the first anniversary of Shusha town’s capture in the course of the
Karabakh conflict.
Employees of the Russian embassy in Armenia, representatives of the
command of the Russian military base and border guards stationed
in the republic laid wreaths and flowers at the monument. Heads of
diplomatic missions and military attaches took part in the ceremony.
Following the performance of the national anthems of the Russian
Federation and the Republic of Armenia, columns of Russian troops
and border guards as well as of the Armenian army marched.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgia consolidates
The Washington Times
May 10, 2004
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili leveraged his widespread support
to rid his country of a long-standing problem. Aslan Abashidze held
undemocratic sway over the region of Adzharia for more than a decade
and appeared to be fossilized into the political scene. Mr. Abashidze
fled Adzharia on Thursday – without a shot being fired by Georgian
forces.
The United States welcomes this development. It is backing a pipeline
that will transport oil from the Caspian Basin to the Georgian capital,
Tbilisi, and off to international markets. This project is central to
President Bush’s efforts to diversify global sources of energy. The
departure of Mr. Abashidze, who had resisted central authority from
Tbilisi, helps to secure Georgia and therefore the project. It could
also help prevent unrest from spreading to Georgia’s potentially
volatile neighbors, such as Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The other prominent protagonist in the Abashidze drama has been
Russia. Russia has two military bases in Adzharia, which the Georgian
government wants removed faster than the Kremlin would prefer. The
Georgian government claims a retired Russian general was running
Mr. Abashidze’s renegade militia. That man, Lt. Gen. Yury Netkachyov,
appears to have been acting as an independent mercenary, but the
association surely was embarrassing to the Kremlin. In the end,
Russia played an important role in helping the Georgian government
overcome its Abashidze problem.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Saakashvili spoke over
the telephone about two to three times in the days preceding
Mr. Abashidze’s flight, said Georgia’s ambassador in Washington,
Levan Mikeladze. The day of his departure, Russian security chief Igor
Ivanov dropped in on Mr. Abashidze, and the pair left for Russia. By
playing this constructive role, Moscow surely bolstered the good will
and trust of its neighbors, a move that could pay dividends.
“The clear message from Washington was not to use force,” said Mr.
Mikeladze, adding that the dialogue with Mr. Putin “helped to avoid
a [military] confrontation.” Had the Georgian government brought in
firepower, Mr. Abashidze probably would have appealed to Moscow to
move its troops in Adzharia against Georgian forces.
Mr. Saakashvili will help set up a temporary council in Adzharia
until legislative elections are held next month. He has significantly
bolstered Georgia’s cohesiveness through diplomatic dexterity and
firm leadership. Moscow should also be commended for gracefully
ushering out Mr. Abashidze.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Will Russian Investment Win Georgia’s Heart?
By Irakly Areshidze
Moscow Times, Russia
May 11 2004
Aslan Abashidze’s long reign in the Georgian province of Adzharia was
made possible by the continuous support of Moscow, which skillfully
wielded the dictator to influence the political process in Georgia.
President Vladimir Putin, who declined to back Abashidze against a
rising tide of opposition, was therefore primarily responsible for
bringing 13 years of tyranny in the Black Sea province to a peaceful
end last week. Yet, by convincing Abashidze to resign, Putin has
forfeited one of his most effective levers for altering the course
of Georgia’s domestic affairs.
The United States also helped Georgia to resolve the conflict by
backing President Mikheil Saakashvili’s demand for the restoration
of Georgian sovereignty in Adzharia. By repeatedly calling for a
peaceful solution to the conflict, Washington also helped to prevent
the use of military force. During the actual crisis last week, however,
senior U.S. officials were distracted by the prisoner abuse scandal in
Iraq and paid scant attention to events in Georgia. The U.S. role in
securing Abashidze’s resignation should therefore not be overestimated.
Russia’s leading role in resolving the crisis in Adzharia was similar
to its role during the Rose Revolution last year. The administration of
U.S. President George W. Bush actively promoted democratic elections
in Georgia. This gave Saakashvili a strong impetus to launch popular
demonstrations against fraud committed by the government during
parliamentary elections last November.
When the opposition stormed parliament three weeks later, however, the
situation was managed not by Washington, but by Moscow. Igor Ivanov,
then foreign minister, arrived in Tbilisi to mediate between President
Eduard Shevardnadze and Saakashvili, while the United States remained
on the sidelines. Thus Ivanov served as midwife during the difficult
birth of a new Georgian regime, even though the opposition was widely
seen as pro-American.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia has been a focal
point of the Russian-U.S. rivalry in the Caspian region. Moscow has
consistently worked to weaken the Georgian state by stalling on troop
withdrawal, aiding separatist regimes in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali
region (so-called Southern Ossetia), fomenting a potential conflict in
Dzhavakheti (a region largely populated by ethnic Armenians), and by
supporting Abashidze. Moscow’s goal has been to make Georgia dependent
on Russia for its survival, as it has done with Belarus and Moldova.
For years the United States countered Russia’s efforts, initially
by pushing for the rapid construction of pipelines through Georgia
to carry Caspian Sea oil and gas. Under George W. Bush, the United
States took a more active role, launching a program to help Georgia
upgrade its armed forces. Following the Prague summit in 2002, when
NATO invited seven new members to join the alliance, Republicans in
Washington began to insist that Georgia — and the Caucasus as a whole
— be considered as a priority for future expansion. Their efforts will
likely begin to bear fruit next month at the NATO summit in Istanbul.
Georgia now stands at a historic crossroads. It has the potential,
along with Turkey and a democratic Iraq, to serve as a conduit for the
advancement of U.S. interests in Central Asia and the Middle East, the
region that will likely dominate U.S. foreign engagement for the first
half of this century. For this to happen, Saakashvili’s government must
pursue real political and economic reforms, the United States must
continue to support Georgia during its period of transition, and the
Bush administration must at least partially implement its vision for
the greater Middle East. Georgia would need to become an economically
strong and politically stable member of NATO, much like the Baltic
states, before it could realize its full potential in this scenario.
Such developments would be incompatible with Moscow’s own policy in
the Caucasus, of course. Analysts in Tbilisi are therefore debating
whether Putin actually acknowledges Russia’s defeat in the battle
for the Caucasus and wants to build a new relationship with Georgia,
or if he has merely changed his tactics in an effort to retain Georgia
within Russia’s sphere of influence.
At first glance, the events of last November and last week suggest that
the United States and Russia have reached a compromise on Georgia,
under which Washington would take the leading role in matters of
strategic importance while Moscow would play a constructive but more
limited role. The agreement on ending the U.S.-Russian rivalry in
the Caucasus, reached by Bush and Putin during the Moscow summit in
May 2002 appears to be working.
This optimistic appraisal may be premature, however. Saakashvili was
hugely indebted to Putin for his rise to power, and Putin’s removal
of Abashidze has doubled that debt. Putin will undoubtedly use this
newly gained influence to pursue Russia’s traditional goals, though
he may be changing his tactics.
A number of recent developments suggest that Moscow is now focused on
keeping Tbilisi under its thumb by means of private sector investment
into key sectors of the Georgian economy. Last year, Unified Energy
Systems took control of electricity distribution in Tbilisi. Gazprom
now seeks a similar monopoly in gas delivery. Neither move is motivated
exclusively by profit. When Saakashvili visited Moscow in February, top
Russian businessmen expressed a strong interest in pursuing ventures
in various sectors of the Georgian economy. Given Putin’s influence on
the oligarchs, the Tbilisi media interpreted this interest as a sign
that the Russian government is encouraging business to get involved
in Georgia.
Investment in Georgia remains a risk, and more so recently as many
foreign businesses have come under pressure from the authorities.
Washington is therefore incapable of matching “private,” politically
driven Russian investment in the country.
In the meantime, Russian businesses could quickly dominate the weak
Georgian economy with a relatively small injection of capital. It
seems logical to assume that by taking control of the Georgian economy,
Moscow hopes to influence the country’s domestic and foreign policy. It
is rumored that Russian money is behind the launch of a new television
station in Tbilisi. If true, this would be the first clear sign of
a Russian business in Georgia designed to serve a political purpose.
It is far from certain that this strategy will enable Moscow to stop
Georgia from pursuing NATO membership and a closer relationship with
the United States. So long as Washington keeps up the pressure on
Moscow to remove its military bases from Georgia in a timely manner,
continues to help strengthen the Georgian army and ensures that
Georgia does not enter into a framework agreement with its northern
neighbor, Russian investment in Georgia could indirectly advance U.S.
interests in the country. Such investment will bolster the Georgian
economy and improve living conditions. And a strong Georgia will be
a more attractive ally for the United States and NATO.
Then again, a strong Georgia would also benefit Russia, plagued as
it is by security concerns on its southern flank.
Irakly Areshidze, a political analyst and elections strategist based in
Washington and Tbilisi, contributed this comment to The Moscow Times.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia Tree Project
Yerevan 375025, Aygestan 9th Str., #6
Tel./Fax (374 1) 569910
Internet:
E-mail: [email protected]
Press Release
10.05.2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
US Ambassador’s Roundtable Participants Plant Evergreen at Tsitsernakaberd
Thursday, May 06 – John Ordway, the US Ambassador to Armenia, presided
during a special tree planting ceremony at Tsitsernakaberd on May 6 as
part of the Spring 2004 meetings of the semi-annual “U.S. Ambassador’s
Diaspora Roundtable.” After laying flowers in front of the Eternal
Flame, Roundtable participants planted a tree with the Ambassador in
the alley of evergreens. The tree planting was arranged by Armenia
Tree Project (ATP). Susan Yacubian Klein, ATP Country Director,
who also participated in the Ambassador’s Diaspora Roundtable,
accompanied the Ambassador during this act of respect.
For further information, please contact Karen Sarkavagyan at the
Armenia Tree Project, phone numbers 569910 and 553069, E-mail
[email protected]
The Armenia Tree Project was founded in 1994 during Armenia’s darkest
and coldest years with the vision of securing Armenia’s future
by protecting Armenia’s environment. Funded by contributions from
Diasporan Armenians, ATP has planted and rejuvenated over 500,000
trees at more than 450 sites ranging from Gumri to Goris.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

California Courier Online, May 13, 2004
1 – Commentary
Turks Identify Themselves As
Perpetrators of the Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
**************************************************************************
2 – ALMA Features Two Exhibits: ‘Bloodlines,’
& ‘Images From the Ashes: Smyrna 1922’
3 – AIWA Will Honor Lily Balian
At May 22 Fundraiser in L.A.
4 – Concern Foundation Honors
Bosley CEO John Ohanesian
5 – AJA Elects New
Board for 2004
************************************************************************
1 – Commentary
Turks Identify Themselves As
Perpetrators of the Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
While April 1915 spelled a national disaster for the Armenian people, who
would have thought that 89 years later, the Armenian Genocide would still
haunt the Turks?
To the dismay of the Turkish government, several major developments last
month reminded the Turks that they cannot escape the consequences of the
crime committed in 1915:
— Five more U.S. states (Montana, Idaho, Tennessee, Nebraska, and
Louisiana) acknowledged the Armenian Genocide this month, bringing the
total number of such U.S. states to 36;
— The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement on April 21, expressing
“its extreme regret” that “a monument was erected in the yard of a Catholic
Church in Krakow, Poland, on April 17, 2004, with an inscription that reads
‘Armenians were the victims of genocide in Turkey in 1915;’ ”
— The New York Times issued an internal guideline stating that henceforth
it would refer to the Armenian Genocide as such without any denialist
qualifiers;
— Thousands of articles were published in newspapers throughout the world,
referring to the 89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and covering the
commemorative events on that occasion;
— Both Presidential candidates in the United States issued solemn
statements on April 24. Pres. Bush recognized the mass murder of 1.5
million Armenians without using the word genocide, while Sen. Kerry called
it genocide and urged the international community to recognize it;
— One of the most significant developments for the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide occurred in Canada on April 21. With a vote of 153 to 68,
the Canadian Parliament officially recognized the Armenian Genocide,
despite strong Turkish opposition.
Hundreds of articles on this subject were published in Canada and Turkey on
the Parliament’s vote. The Turkish Ambassador and the Turkish communities
in Canada and the United States engaged in a massive lobbying campaign
trying to block this initiative. Afterwards, the Turkish government
threatened that the vote would have serious economic repercussions on
Canada, meaning that Turkey could cancel major business contracts with
Canadian companies.
There was, however, one key observation missing from all of these news
reports, editorials and commentaries. While wildly lashing out at Canada,
the Turkish government does not seem to have paid close attention to the
text of the resolution which reads as follows: “This House acknowledges the
Armenian genocide of 1915 and condemns this act as a crime against
humanity.”
Nowhere in the text is there a mention of Turks or Ottomans as the
perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide. Why are the Turks then, so
vociferously complaining about this resolution? Simply because the Turks
know all too well — better than anyone else — the crime that was
committed by their ancestors. That knowledge must weigh heavily on their
collective guilty conscience. This resolution is not blaming them for
committing any crime. Under these circumstances, the Turks are simply
identifying themselves or accusing themselves of committing genocide
against the Armenians.
There is no more damning evidence of the genocide committed by the Turks
against the Armenians than their own acknowledgment or confession of their
guilt.
Turks Complain to The N. Y. Times
As expected, the Turks are lashing out at The New York Times for announcing
last month that it would henceforth refer to the Armenian Genocide simply
as genocide, without any qualifiers.
In a letter to Bill Keller, the Executive Editor of The New York Times, the
President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, Ercument Kilic,
expressed his “disappointment” over the paper’s decision to describe as
genocide “the misfortune of the Ottoman Armenians.” After listing a series
of falsehoods, Kilic urged the Editor “to reconsider” his decision, stating
that “the image of The New York Times as a neutral and impartial medium has
been seriously tarnished.” As I had suggested in an earlier column, the
more the Turks complain to The New York Times, the more they help publicize
the Armenian Genocide.
Already, the newspaper’s new guideline has resulted in a lengthy and very
positive article on the Armenian Genocide, in the April 26 issue of the
prestigious New Yorker magazine. Writer Gary Bass recalled that Bill
Keller, the Executive Editor of The New York Times, referred to the
Armenian Genocide as genocide back in 1988 in an article he wrote during
his time at the paper’s Moscow bureau. Bass reported that during a phone
conversation last month, Keller told him: “It seemed a no-brainer that
killing a million people because they were Armenians fit the definition [of
genocide].”
In the weeks ahead, the Turks, with their complaints, will probably cause
more such positive articles to be written on the Armenian Genocide in many
other major newspapers and magazines.
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2 – ALMA Features Two Exhibits: ‘Bloodlines,’
& ‘Images From the Ashes: Smyrna 1922’
WATERTOWN. Ma – The Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) announced
its most recent exhibit, “Images from the Ashes: Smyrna 1922” featured in
the Bedoukian Gallery, April 18 through October 3. The opening reception
will take place May 16, from 3 to 5 p.m., and will mark the opening of
Greek-American artist, Anna Spileos Scott’s, “Bloodlines,” a contemporary
and striking art installation commemorating the destruction of the city of
Smyrna. In addition, Anna Scott and “Bread” series artist, Apo Torosyan,
will give a lecture about their experiences and inspirations that are
reflected in their artwork.
In 1921, the city of Smyrna, south of Constantinople, was the second
largest city of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey’s primary center of trade and
culture, Smyrna known as “gavour Izmir” (“infidel Smyrna”) to the Turks, as
most of the population were Greeks, Armenians, Europeans and Jews. By
December 1922, the city was a smoldering ruin, with most of its population
murdered or driven out permanently in the ruthless drive to create a new
Turkish state without the “gavours.”
“Images from the Ashes: Smyrna 1922” examines the role of Smyrna on
Ottoman and European culture, as well as the primary roles of Greek and
Armenian Christian populations. Both groups, the native populations of the
area, were completely eliminated in this early model of ‘ethnic cleansing’.
Unlike other destroyed cities in history that are remembered today, the
city of Smyrna has been forgotten.
The exhibit tells the tragic story of the city in a diverse exhibit
encompassing different materials combined from a number of sources. The
exhibit includes an extensive photograph record of the city compiled by
Richard and Anne Elizabeth Elbrecht of Davis, Calif., The exhibit includes
rare images of the final days of the city prior to its destruction. These
photographs will be complemented by rare textiles, rugs, and publications
produced in Smyrna, all of which survived the final destruction. The
textiles, now part of the museum’s holding, were donated by the Yeranian
and Nicolaides families, who are immigrants from Smyrna.
Although Armenians made less than ten-percent of the population, the city
was a major center of Armenian arts and education. The destruction of the
Armenian population in 1922 was the final major atrocity of the Genocide,
the closing act on seven years of rape, murder and pillage.
On the same afternoon as the opening of “Bloodlines”, Peabody-based artist
Apo Torosyan will present his own experiences when he returned to his
native village in Turkey. Torosyan is a successful artist and lecturer who
has exhibited in hundreds of galleries, including several exhibits at ALMA.
He is perhaps best known for his “Bread” series of art, that incorporates
actual pieces of bread into his multimedia art installations. Torosyan’s
video and discussion will explore the emotional impact of his return to
Turkey after 25 years.
Admission is free to ALMA members and children under 14, and a $2 suggested
donation for non-members.
For more information, call the office at 617-926-2562
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3 – AIWA Will Honor Lily Balian
At May 22 Fundraiser in L.A.
LOS ANGELES – The Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA), Los
Angeles Affiliate, will honor Lily Ring Balian with the Outstanding Woman
of Achievement and Commitment Award at their annual fundraiser on May 22,
at The Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
Balian has represented Armenian women in Los Angeles for over 10 years
working to increase the visibility of Armenian women, promote their equal
role in the world and advance the discussion of education, social welfare,
culture, business and heritage in society. The AIWA luncheon will help
raise funds for their continuous outreach projects for women.
Balian lives in Los Angeles and serves as a consultant for political
campaigns statewide and nationally and has managed public affairs and
political campaigns in both the private and public sector for more than 20
years. In 1991, Gov. Pete Wilson appointed her to the California Commission
on the Status of Women where she advanced to Chair of the committee. Ring
Balian continues to take an active role in numerous organizations many of
which focus on women’s causes. She is currently the Vice President of the
KCET Women’s Council; a member of Women Los Angeles, participated as
chairperson of the Ladies Auxiliary of Western Diocese, served as former
President of the Los Angeles Affiliate of the Armenian Women’s
International Association, where, in 1995, she represented California, as
well as the AIWA at the United Nations Fourth World Conference for Women in
Beijing, China. It is for her ongoing commitment to Armenian women in
society that AIWA honors her this year at their annual fundraiser.
AIWA has worked to gather information about the changing role of women in
the world, monitored the activities of Armenian women, established an
Armenian Women’s archive and regularly sponsored programs and issues
publications to further these purposes.
For more information on the luncheon or to order tickets, contact Cindy
Norian at 310-277-4490, or Joan Agajanian Quinn at 310274-4938 by May 10.
For more information on AIWA, visit
**************************************************************************
4 – Concern Foundation Honors
Bosley CEO John Ohanesian
BEVERLY HILLS – The Concern Foundation for funding cancer research
worldwide announced the honoree for this year’s Annual Block Party. John R.
Ohanesian, President and CEO of Bosley, will be honored at the 30th annual
fundraiser on July 17, at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
The Concern Foundation wages a war against cancer every year by raising
money at its signature event and by promoting public awareness of its
community outreach programs. Ohanesian epitomizes the values of this
charitable organization. He is a humanitarian and community leader with
over two decades of experience in the health care industry.
Ohanesian has been President and Chief Operating Officer of Bosley since
joining the company in 1990. As of 2001, he assumed the role of Chief
Executive Officer after successfully completing the acquisition of Bosley
by Aderans, Inc. of Tokyo, Japan. Since joining Bosley, the world leader in
surgical hair restoration, Ohanesian has led growth from 8 offices to 90
offices and from 68 employees to over 600 employees. Performing more
surgical hair restoration procedures than any company in the world, Bosley
was the first medical provider in the United States to successfully produce
and air an infomercial in 1993. As President and CEO, Ohanesian has been
the prime caretaker of the company founder’s core values – personal
integrity and the highest level of quality patient care. Bosley advanced
many of the artistic techniques used worldwide today to achieve natural
results under the leadership of hair restoration pioneer L. Lee Bosley,
M.D.
>>From 1984 to 1990, Ohanesian was Vice President of Saint John’s Hospital
and Health Center in Santa Monica, from 1990-1996 he was a member of the
California Citizens Compensation Commission as an appointee of Gov. George
Deukmejian.
Since 2000, Ohanesian has been an active member of the Los Angeles Music
Center’s Center Theatre Group, the operating company for the Ahmanson
Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum. He is on the Corporate Circle Committee
and assumed the Co-Chair role from 2001 to 2003. He joined the Board of
Directors in 2001 and presently serves as Vice-Chair of the Development
Committee.
Ohanesian resides in Beverly Hills with his two daughters, Adona and Ava.
Ohanesian enjoys supporting his daughters’ schools, in particular, the
Curtis School Hot Lunch Program where he has volunteered annually since
1994.
For more information, contact Lysa Barry, Barry & Associates at
818-716-7111 or [email protected].
**************************************************************************
5 – AJA Elects New Board for 2004
LOS ANGELES – At its first 2004 general membership meeting, the Armenian
Jewelers Association, West Coast, elected a new Board of Directors.
Meeting on April 12 at Mandaloon Restaurant, discussions were held for a
new agenda and plans for the year were sketched out.
The new Board members are: Peklar A. Pilavjian, Ghazaros Ghazarossian, Joe
Zabounian, Gevork Hagopian, Karen Michaelian, Vatche Fronjian, Jack
Hovanessian, Krekor Karaguezian, George Gulian, Aret Menzilcian, and
Khachig Hawatian.
**************************************************************************
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Courier. Subscriptions or changes of address should not be transmitted
through this service. Information in that regard should be telephoned
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Municipal polls The family factor
Monday Morning, Lebanon
May 10 2004
The dramatic recent events in the Middle East have not overshadowed
the municipal elections, which are at the center of the Lebanese
interest this month. President Emile Lahoud was particularly
concerned, in the last few months, for ensuring a climate of security
and neutrality, through the intermediary of the administrative and
security apparatus, the Army and Internal Security Forces maintaining
order around and inside the election offices. President Lahoud was
also in favor of having an agreement in the towns and localities
where it would be possible to set up consensual tickets, but if this
was not the case, the municipal elections should take place in a calm
atmosphere, given that the municipality assumes functions having an
administrative nature, or relating to the environment, health and
public services. Receiving Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Peter
VIII Abdelahad, President Lahoud insisted on the necessity of having
“all the Lebanese disregard their dissensions and sensitivities that
are the case of ill-feeling”.
“They should close ranks and join efforts so as to confront the dangers
threatening the Middle East and the challenges facing us”, he added.
‘Preservation of harmony’
After Mount Lebanon, came the turn of Beirut and the Bekaa to elect
their candidates on May 9.
As to what concerns the capital, the odds seemed to be strongly
in favor of the ticket sponsored by Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,
especially after Abdelhamid Fakhouri withdrew his candidacy. Fakhouri
pulled out after former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, a Sunnite notable
in Beirut, decided to distance himself from the elections. For his
part, Tammam Salam, another Sunnite figure and also a supporter of
Fakhouri, decided to support the ticket headed by Abdelmonem Aris,
outgoing mayor of Beirut.
Salam praised the formation of the “Beirut Unity” ticket sponsored
by Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, designed to embrace as much of the
city’s confessional political and confessional horizon as possible
in order to “maintain the unity of Beirut and express the desire of
its people to live together in harmonious coexistence”.
There was one slight note of disharmony in Hariri’s refusal to accept a
candidate of the Kataeb Party on the Unity ticket, reportedly because
the leader of the party, Karim Pakradouni, minister of administrative
development, had irritated the prime minister by opposing proposals
supported by him during cabinet meetings.
Pakradouni tried to put the best face on the matter by indicating that
he preferred to withdraw his party’s candidate rather than compromise
national unity.
As for Gebran Araiji, leader of the Syrian Social National Party
(SSNP), he declared in the name of the committee of parties, “We have
noted Salam’s desire to preserve harmony between all sides and ensure
their representation [on the municipal council], and especially the
representation of the Christians within the ‘Unity’s ticket”. He
added that “Syria supports this action, and this is proved by the
fact that President Bashar Assad has affirmed his determination to
remain equidistant from all the components of the Lebanese population”.
Murr: ‘In favor of democratic elections’
Elias Murr, minister of the interior and of municipal affairs, stated
following a meeting with Mgr. Elias Audé, Greek Orthodox archbishop of
Beirut, that his main concern was that “the municipal elections have
taken place in a democratic manner, giving Lebanon some credibility
abroad”. He added, “If we think that the municipal elections in a
certain region will lead to trouble that may endanger public security,
we will postpone the elections for one month”.
Following a fracas between supporters of MP Walid Jumblatt, leader
of the Progressive Socialist Party, and Talal Arslan, head of the
Lebanese Democratic Party, in the Mount Lebanon town of Shweifat,
Murr stated that those who provoked it may have wanted to postpone
the municipal elections in that region, where the two traditional
fractions of the Druze community, “Yazbakis” and “Jumblattis”, were
confronting each other.
In response to the statement made by the Free Patriotic Current,
loyal to exiled General Michel Aoun, accusing the authorities of bias
in the conduct of the elections, Murr replied, “We’ve heard the same
accusation from several of the many candidates. That’s why we have
set up a special bureau to receive such complaints and investigate
them and check their veracity”.
The minister was non-committal about the situation in the Beirut
polls, to be held on May 9. “I think that Premier Hariri, being in
the strongest position, will have the lion’s share of the seats on
the city council”.
Lahoud satisfied
Back to the elections in Mount Lebanon. President Lahoud expressed
satisfaction with the results and the way the polls had been conducted
and congratulated the winning candidates and the officials responsible
for polling stations and security. “The elections in Mount Lebanon
should serve as models for the polls in other provinces”. At Shweifat,
the Jumblattist candidate won the palm, while Talal Arslan called
for an invalidation of the poll “because of flagrant irregularities”.
In the North Metn, MP Michel Murr, the dominant political figure of
the region, sponsored tickets in 40 of the 48 municipalities and was
the main winner in the elections.
In Jounieh, ticket-splitting and vote-buying were the principal
accusations made by the competing candidates. Two tickets were in
contention for the 16,000 voters. The first, called “Jounieh of the
Future”, included the outgoing mayor, Adel Bou-Karam, and was backed
by MPs Georges Frem and Mansour el-Bone. The other, supported by MP
Farid el-Khazen and Minister Fares Bouez and called “All for Jounieh”,
was led by Juan Hobeish. The latter ticket managed to obtain the
largest number of seats on the municipal council.
In Deir al-Kamar, 11 of the 12 candidates on the ticket sponsored by
Dory Chamoun, leader of the National Liberal Party and mayor of the
town, were elected. Only the head of the opposing ticket, retired
Brigadier Adonis Nehmé, broke through the Chamoun list.
Michel Murr:’No link between municipal polls and the presidential
election’
Following his success in the North Metn, Michel Murr, replying to a
reporter’s question, indicated that “the presidential election is in
no way linked to the municipal polls” and criticized those who wanted
to “do battle with the Administration, that is, with the president,
and in his own fief, the Metn District… which is and will remain an
area of Christian moderation, and President Lahoud wishes to see this
attitude of mind maintained throughout the region.
“That is why, when the political battle comes, we shall declare
our position in all frankness and say: this region will be behind
President Lahoud if he stands as a candidate for the headship of
the state. President Lahoud is considered a man of deep patriotism,
as he proved in South Lebanon, and he opposes the implantation of
[Palestinian] refugees. I will always be by his side, whatever
the battle may be, not least that of a renewal of the presidential
mandate”.
In Dekwaneh, all factions of the opposition supported the incomplete
ticket of Joseph Bou-Abboud, which confronted the pro-Michel Murr
ticket of Antoine Nicolas Shakhtoura, which captured the majority of
seats in contention.
In Sin al-Fil, there was an intense battle between the opposition
ticket led by Nabil Kahalé and that of the outgoing mayor, Sami
Shaoul, pro-Murr. Fifteen of the 18 seats went to the opposition.
In Jdeide-Boushrieh, everyone was surprised to see the arrival,
carried en masse in minibuses, of bedouins brought in to vote for
the pro-Murr ticket. They were heard discussing the “tariff”, which
was not up to their expectations, but which they received as soon
as they had cast their ballots. As usual, the Armenian Tashnak Party
came down solidly on the side of the Administration.
The opposition was divided between the reformist Kataeb movement,
supporting Boulos Kanaan’s (second) ticket, on the one hand, and a
ticket representing the Free Patriotic Current, the National Liberals
and the Lebanese Forces on the other.
In Jal al-Dib, fief of the Abou-Jaoudé family, the contest was between
two tickets, one headed by Edouard Abou-Jaoudé (pro-Murr), the other
by Tony Abou-Jaoudé and Antoine Zard (Free Patriotic Current-National
Liberals Lebanese Front).
In Antelias, three tickets were in contention. The first was led by
Elie Farhat Abou-Jaoudé, outgoing mayor, supported by Michel Murr and
the Tashnak Party. The second, led by Basam Abou-Fadel and enjoying
the support of the Rahbanis, refused to politicize the elections. The
third, that of the opposition, was supported by the reformist Kataeb
and the Free Patriotic Current.
In Dbayé, four tickets opposed one another: that of the outgoing mayor,
Kabalan Ashkar, supported by the SSNP; that of the outgoing deputy
mayor, Salim Massoud, backed by Michel Murr and the Tashnak; the
third comprised opposition personalities, Aounists and independents
with the support of the NLP; and the fourth, led by Milad Massoud,
candidate of the reformist Kataeb.
The “alliance” between Michel Murr and Amin Gemayel remained undeclared
and had the purpose of giving victory to the largest number of Kataeb
candidates. Ticket-splitting was the rule.
>>From Bikfaya and Baabdat to Jbeil In Bikfaya, Amin Gemayel and
Toufik Daher, the outgoing mayor, brought together a ticket of 15
members led by Fuad Abi-Hayla. Another ticket of six members was
assembled by families in the town who felt they should be represented
on the municipal council.
In Baabda, a ticket was agreed bringing together the leading families
of the town, led by Imad Labaki, nephew of the outgoing mayor, Assaad
Labaki. This ticket was backed by MP Nassib Lahoud and Salim Salhab,
who is “close to” the National Bloc.
In Jbeil, two large tickets and one ticket of the opposition faced
one another. Family considerations prevailed over political factors.
Of particular interest was the alliance enjoying the support of MP
Nazem Khouri, close to General Michel Sleiman, commander-in-chief
of the Army, and formed by the Hawat and Shami (National Bloc)
families, who were allied for the first time in half a century,
with the Kallabs (Destourians). The purpose of this combination was
to dislodge Jean-Louis Kardahi, who was himself mayor before being
appointed minister of telecommunications. Kardahi reportedly had the
backing of influential figures in the Administration and had used
the facilities of his department to win the favor of the Jbeiliotes.
Ticket-splitting and vote-buying
In Hadeth and Shiyah, two important towns of the Baabda-Aley District,
the Aounists comprised the most important opposition force to confront
the tickets loyal to the Administration. Other “opposition” forces were
too fragmented to be taken seriously. In Ghobeiri, in the southwestern
suburbs of the capital, a Hezballah tidal wave called into question
the popularity of the Amal Movement, led by the parliamentary speaker,
Nabih Berri.
The poor performance of opposition candidates reflected their habitual
inability to cooperate effectively.
In their monthly message, the Maronite bishops deplored the fact
that family considerations had played such a major role in deciding
voters’ choices.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia exempts Russia from paying $6.2m
RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
May 11 2004
RBC, 11.05.2004, Yerevan 13:40:45.The parliament of Armenia
exempted the Russian Economy Ministry from paying VAT totaling $6.2m
within the framework of a deal on including the assets of Razdan
thermal power station in the authorized capital of Razdan Energy
Company. According to the ARKA news agency, the Armenian parliament
adopted a corresponding bill on the second reading. The final stage
of transferring the Razdan thermal power station to Russia implies
including its property in the authorized capital of Razdan Energy
Company, a legal entity, which is being established by Russia in
Armenia.
According the legislation of Armenia, Russia had to pay a 20-percent
VAT from the cost of the property ($31m), which amounted to $6.2m. As
a result, Russia faced unforeseen expenditures and the Armenian side
decided to introduce changes to legislation, which imply VAT relief
for establishing Razdan Energy Company.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress